MSU’s newest flight simulator

With a final check of his instrument panel, Mississippi State aerospace engineering graduate student Zachary Doucet pulled back on the control stick lifting his aircraft into the air. Moments later, he was preparing to land. Doucet began to hear Mississippi State University engineering instructor Calvin Walker coaching him through the landing. Pitch it back … flare, flare, flare, Walker urged. The plane touched down safely. But, there was never a cause for worry even though Doucet isn’t a pilot because he was sitting at a desk running a computer virtual experience exercise of a new flight simulator recently installed in the aerospace engineering department of MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering. The simulator, called the Merlin MP 500-1 Academic Engineering Flight Simulator, was installed at MSU by the Sussex, England-based Merlin Flight Simulation Group. MSU is the second organization in the U.S. to have use of the simulator. University of Dayton is the other. It’s not a traditional flight simulator. Its purpose is to help engineers design aircraft and help them understand how variables affect an aircraft in flight. “Students can design their own aircraft and test it in improvised real-world conditions without the costs and risks involved with building an actual aircraft,” said Christopher Neal, managing director at Merlin. It lets students work with existing or theoretical data to see how aircraft perform, and then "lets them make changes as needed.” (Source: Mississippi State University 07/28/17)

Cadets get SUPT familiarization

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – Some 40 cadets from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) are visiting Columbus Air Force Base from July 22-30 in a course that allowed them to train as if they were a pilot undergoing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) at CAFB. The SUPT Familiarization Course allows 15-to-18 year-old CAP cadets to get a realistic perspective of the Air Force’s SUPT course. “It’s like a week-long overview of what undergraduate pilot training is,” said CAP Cadet Dennis Blaschke from South Carolina. Cadets experienced more than a week of academics and flight simulations. They learn what it takes to become a pilot in the AF. CAP is the official auxiliary force of the Air Force, which provides assistance with humanitarian and search and rescue missions. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/28/17)

NASA established 59 years ago

On July 29, 1958, Congress passed legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 59 years ago, a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space. NASA has since sponsored space expeditions, both human and mechanical, that have yielded vital information about the solar system and universe; and including putting the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969. NASA was created in response to the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of its first satellite, Sputnik I, which orbited the Earth for 98 minutes and catching Americans by surprise sparking the start of the U.S.-Soviet space race. (History.com 07/29/17) Gulf Coast Note: The John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi is one of 10 NASA field centers in the U.S. Because of its important role in engine testing for more than five decades, Stennis is NASA's program manager for rocket propulsion testing with total responsibility for conducting and managing all NASA propulsion test programs. Stennis tested the first and second Saturn V rocket stages for NASA's Apollo Program, including those used to carry humans to the moon.

Cali sheriff buys AHI helos

San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Department has strengthened its public safety capabilities with the acquisition of two new Airbus Helicopters H125 AStar helicopters, one of the best-selling law enforcement aircraft in the country. (Source: Vertical Magazine 07/26/17) Gulf Coast Note: Airbus Helicopters Inc. builds the H125AStar “helos” at its Columbus, Miss., facility.

Forrestal’s 50th anniversary tragedy

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Retired Rear Adm. Peter Booth and retired Navy Capt. Flack Logan were both aboard USS Forrestal on July 28, 1967, when a massive fire broke out on the carrier off the coast of Vietnam that killed 134 sailors. It is the Navy's biggest disaster in a combat zone since WWII. Ten years later, Booth would command USS Forrestal. But this coming Saturday, July 29, the duo, both residents of Northwest Florida, will be part of a commemoration of the tragedy's 50th anniversary. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. on Hangar Bay One of the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 07/26/17)

EMDP2 for eligible military enlisted

The Enlisted Medical Degree Prep Program (EMDP2) is a two-year undergraduate education program open to eligible enlisted personnel of all ratings. EMDP2 is a partnership between the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences – the Defense Department’s only medical school - and the military services to provide opportunities for highly-motivated, academically promising enlisted service members. EMDP2 consists of intensive coursework, preparation and mentoring to prepare students for application to medical school. Upon completion, successful students will be competitive for acceptance to U.S. medical schools. For more information for FY 2018, see NAVADMIN 172/17 or a based Command Career Counselor for details. (Source: Navy Medical Corps Career blog 07/14/17)

‘Pelican State’ WWII exhibit

On Dec. 8, 1941, one day after the surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the U.S. officially entered WWII. Louisiana, however, was already front and center in the nation’s defense preparations. From 1940-45, Louisiana’s war efforts triggered massive changes, and those war-time experiences laid the groundwork for a post-war world that emerged from the 20th century’s greatest struggle. The Pelican State Goes to War: Louisiana in World War II tells that story. The exhibit, now running at the National Museum of World War II in New Orleans through April 2018, focuses on Louisiana's role in the war. (Source: National Museum of World War II 07/17)

NASM's 25th counterdrug course

MERIDIAN, Miss. - A special ceremony was held at Naval Air Station Meridian on July 21 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy’s operation. Five southern states play a key role in the war on drugs of which the RCTA plays a vital role. More than 2,000 people go through the course annually. Special awards were presented to recognize the course’s network of support to some 1,400 agencies nationally. Clarke County (Miss.) Sheriff Todd Kemp is a former member of the class says the effort against drugs and drug traffickers is forever evolving, and that the course was a good way for officers to stay ahead of the game. More than 137,000 officers have been through the program. (Source: WTOK 07/2/17)

GT transport hubs get state grants

Four Mississippi Golden Triangle (GT) transportation hubs and systems will receive a combined $666,761 in state Department of Transportation grants to bolster infrastructure, the Mississippi Transportation Commission announced July 20. The MTC approved grant awards to area recipients that included Columbus-Lowndes County Airport, Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Lowndes County Port, and Starkville-Mississippi State University Area Rapid Transit (SMART) system. Columbus-Lowndes airport will receive $229,630 to rehabilitate a maintenance hangar. GTRA will use its $76,938 grant to install a new communication system. GTRA Director Mike Hainsey said the airport's new communication system will allow airport officials to interact with first responders and law enforcement agencies that are transitioning to a statewide, digital system. The airport should have the new system in place by October. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 07/21/17)

MSU vets assist disaster dogs

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University veterinarians are assisting federal and state disaster response teams related to the July 10 Marine Corps airplane crash in Leflore County. The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Disaster Animal Response Team was deployed, and set up a mobile veterinary clinic, to provide care to military and federal agency working dogs searching for debris at the miles-long crash site. The team was led by CVM associate professor of pathobiology and veterinarian Carla Huston. The working dogs, brought in to support the military and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are being provided preventative care, and minor-injury treatment. The main challenges for the dogs, according to Huston, are extreme heat and reduced air circulation. The veterinarians are monitoring between six and eight dogs for signs of heat exhaustion and related issues. Since the disaster response team was mobilized, three veterinarians, two veterinary technicians and two support staff members have assisted in the field. (Source: Mississippi State 07/20/17)

Navy may narrow TH-XX search

The Navy is seeking a single turbine engine rotary craft that can achieve Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification requirements that may potentially limit the field of competitors for the service’s new TH-XX trainer helicopter. The Navy wants to replace its aging fleet of 113 TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopter-trainers with 105 new helos. Production is tentatively scheduled to begin in FY-2020/21, according to June 1 Request For Proposals published on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Most single-engine helicopters meet Visual Flight Rules (VFR) certification. Only one helo, Leonardo Helicopters' TH-119, a military version of the commercial AgustaWestland AW119Kx, currently meets both requirements. Several other manufacturers are eyeing the TH-XX, but would require significant upgrades for IFR rating-regulations. Bell, Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are among the potential competitors. (Source: Flight Global 07/20/17) Gulf Coast Note: NAS Whiting Field, Fla., houses three helicopter training squadrons (HT-8, 18, 26) that fly the TH-57, and three fixed-wing training squadrons. NASWF accounts for about 14 percent of the Navy’s total flight hours. Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., builds the UH-72A Lakota helicopter for the Army, Navy and National Guard. The primary customer is for Army Aviation training, primarily at Fort Rucker, Ala. The Defense Department has placed more than 410 orders for the UH-72A 411 Lakota.

F-35s to get OBOGS upgrade

WASHINGTON - In response to reports of hypoxia-like symptoms experienced by Air Force F-35A pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., the program office intends to make changes to the onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS) to optimize oxygen flow for the pilots. The OBOGS modification will involve refining the algorithm associated with oxygen concentration, according to F-35 program office spokesman Brian Schiff. He also said: “There is no indication the delivered oxygen concentration was a contributor …” in the five incidents when pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. OBOGS manufacturer Honeywell will be responsible for designing upgrades and a retrofit for all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter. Investigation into the psychological events (PEs) is ongoing, with the JPO, F-35 PE team, Air Force’s 711 Human Performance Wing, and Navy Medical Research Unit at Dayton, Ohio, all engaged in analysis, Schiff said. The team will study how the aircraft ramp is set up and assess temperature and air quality data to ensure pilots are not suffering negative effects on the ground before takeoff that could be exacerbated during flight. (Source: Defense News 07/18/17) The issues have not only been limited to the AF variant at Luke AFB, but finding a root cause of the incidents has proven difficult for multiple military aircraft, including the Navy’s fleet-based F/A-18 Hornets and T-45C trainers used at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas.

Safety issues rise in MS air crash

Glenn Schwarz. a Navy civilian aeronautical-engineering technician whistleblower, who uncovered significant fueling risks to pilots based out of Cherry Point, N.C., was raising new safety issues before civilian managers fired him in June. He claims those civilian managers put him in a highly technical job calibrating equipment used for testing weapons systems and equipment that support aircraft for which he had no training or knowledge to perform. He also asserted on-the-job training managers were not complying with Navy regulations at the Metrology and Calibration laboratory and across Fleet Readiness Center-East (FRC-E). Safety concerns are rampant across military communities in the days since a Marine Corps KC-130T crashed in Leflore County, Miss., last week killing 15 Marines and a Navy corpsman. The KC-130T was coming from the Marine Corps Station Cherry Point, the same location of the FRC-E maintenance and refueling issues of Schwarz’s initial substantiated safety disclosures. Marine officials have only said that the KC-130T "experienced a mishap" in air, but have not provided any additional details as to whether maintenance problems or pilot-error may have been the cause. The investigation is on-going. A 2015 Navy Inspector General report substantiated many of Schwarz's complaints. The report found that fuel hoses and the gauges on fuel trucks had not been tested in years, creating the possibility that contaminants could enter the fuel and pass the aircraft’s filtering systems, leading to potentially life-threatening engine performance issues and deadly fire risks on the ground. The IG report was sent to then-President Obama and the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. The audit recommended more than a dozen steps to bring the FRC-E into compliance with Navy rules. (Source: Washington Free Beacon 07/17/17)

New Vice Commander at 14th FTW

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The 14th Flying Training Wing officially welcomed its new Vice Commander, Col. William Denham, to Columbus AFB this past week. As Vice Commander, he is responsible for the support and medical care for about 3,000 military, civilian and contract personnel. He will manage capital assets exceeding $1.3 billion. The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for Air Force and partner-nation officers, plus tactical training for international pilots and aircraft maintainers of the A-29 Super Tucano at Moody AFB, Ga. Prior to arriving at CAFB, Denham was Chief of Combat Plans for the 609th Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He is a command pilot with more than 2,700 flying hours and nearly 200 combat hours. From July 1997 to March 1998, he was with the F-15C Fighter Training Unit of the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/14/17)

KC-130 crash victims ID'd

WASHINGTON, DC - The Marine Corps officially released the names of those personnel killed in a KC-130T Hercules aircraft crash July 10 in Leflore County, Miss.
+ Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ryan M. Lohrey of Middletown, Ind., who was assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion of the Marine Special Operations Command. Lohrey had two operational tours (Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve) and having earned two Combat Action ribbons and the Purple Heart.
+ KC-130 aircraft commander Marine Major Caine M. Goyette, no hometown given, was assigned to VMGR 452 of Marine Air Group 49 and the 4th Marine Air Wing.
+ KC-130 aircraft commander Capt. Sean E. Elliott of Orange, Calif., who was assigned to the VMGR 452.
+ Gunnery Sgt Mark A. Hopkins of Chesapeake, Va., a Tactical Systems Operator assigned to VMGR 452.
+ KC-130 crew master Gunnery Sgt. Brendan C. Johnson of Chittenden, Vt., was assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist. Deployments included operations Enduring/Iraqi Freedom.
+ KC-130 crew master Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Snowden of Dallas, Texas, was an active reservist assigned to VMGR 452.
+ KC-130 crew master Sgt. Julian M. Kevianne of Dallas, Texas, assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist.
+ KC-130 crew master Sgt. Owen J. Lennon of Rockland, N.Y., assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist.
+ KC-130 crew master Cpl. Daniel I. Baldassare of Monmouth, N.J., was on active duty and assigned to VMGR 452.
+ Aircraft Ordnance Technician Cpl. Collin J. Schaaff of Pierce, Wash., was on active duty and assigned to VMGR 452.
+ Critical Skills Operator Staff Sgt. Robert H. Cox of Ventura, Calif., was on active duty assigned to the special operations 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Staff Sgt. William J. Kundrat of Frederick, Md., was on active duty assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments: Operations Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, Senegal, and Operation Inherent Resolve and having earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Chad E. Jenson of Los Angeles was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Talon R. Leach of Callaway, Mo., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Joseph J. Murray of Duval, Fla., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom and having earned two Afghanistan Campaign medals, two Sea Service Deployment ribbons, and a National Defense Service Medal.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Dietrich A. Schmieman of Benton, Wash., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom and having earned three Sea Service Deployment ribbons and National Defense Service Medal. (Source: Marine Forces Reserve 07/14/17) UPDATE 07/15/17: The 16 service members’ remains were delivered July 13 to Jackson (Miss.) Medgar Evers International Airport by a procession of hearses, and loaded onto a C-5 for transport to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Seven were from a Marine Raider Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Nine were based out of Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., home to a Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron.

House rejects BRAC for 2018

The U.S. House of Representatives voted down a defense policy bill provision July 13 that would have removed language preventing a new round of base closures for 2018. Lawmakers voted 175-248 to reject the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) amendment. The amendment would have removed a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provision barring a new BRAC round, a roadblock included in the bill for years. The vote goes against the White House and Pentagon’s desire to close billions of dollars' worth of unused or underused facilities. An Office of Management and Budget assessment "strongly urges” Congress to provide BRAC authorization, required for a commission to be formed. (Source: The Hill 07/13/17)

L-3 to upgrade TH-57 helos

Avionics experts at L-3 Vertex Aerospace in Madison, Miss., will upgrade Navy TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters with ADS-B systems that enable pilots and air traffic controllers to communicate digitally that enhances safety. Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division in Orlando, Fla., announced an $8.8 million order to L-3 Vertex on July 10 to buy and install 96 automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) avionics kits for the helicopters. (Source: Causality.O 07/10/17)

SASC: Better comms for T-45 fix

Naval aviation’s hunt for solutions to its No. 1 safety issue - oxygen deprivation and loss of cockpit cabin pressure on its T-45C trainers, F/A-18 Hornets/Super Hornets, and EA-18 Growlers - is hampered by breakdowns in communication between engineers and pilots, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee. A lot of “good work” has been done on the issue, including data being created and analyzed, “those efforts are not always being effectively communicated down to the flightline” where these physiological episodes “are most acute,” according to a July 11 committee report as part of the FY 2018 defense policy bill (S 1519). The SASC urged the Navy “to consider designating a single individual for each” aircraft class affected “to act as bridge” between engineers and pilots to ensure a positive flow of communications. The bill, at the request of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), would authorize DOD to launch a nationwide competition - with a $10M prize - to find a solution to the persistent problem. The Navy first grounded its fleet of T-45s for several days in April - including those flown at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas. (Source: Bloomberg News 07/13/17)

SECNAV nominee OK with BRAC

President Trump’s Navy Secretary nominee Richard V. Spencer, a former Marine aviator, says he is open to another Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission if confirmed as SECNAV. In advance policy questions written prior to his July 11 Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Spencer said allowing the Pentagon another round of BRAC “makes sense to me.” It's been reported that the five previous rounds have saved DOD $12 billion annually. “I have been told a new round could save an additional $2 (billion) each year,” he wrote. The last BRAC was in 2005. (Source: The Hill 07/11/17) At the end of the 2-hour session, SASC Chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he looks forward to moving Spencer’s nomination to the full Senate by August. The SASC is also poised to push five top DOD nominees out of committee toward a Senate confirmation vote. The move, according to McCain may result in a “confrontation” with Democrats.Gulf Coast Note: Gulf Coast military activities and bases have been hit by previous BRAC closures and realignments. Naval Stations Mobile, Ala., and Pascagoula, Miss.; and Naval Aviation Depot Pensacola, Fla., were closed. Naval Aerospace Medicine Research Laboratory was relocated from Pensacola to Ohio. NAS Meridian, Miss., had been on frequent lists of early BRACs.

KC-130 'on fire' before MS crash

GREENWOOD, Miss. - The Marine Corps KC-130T transport airplane that crashed in the Mississippi Delta killing 16 Marine special operations active duty and reservists, and a Navy hospital corpsman on July 10, apparently experienced a high altitude emergency, which may bolster witness accounts that it exploded in flight. The crash left two debris fields a mile apart, Brig. Gen. Bradley S. James, commander of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Forces Reserve, said July 12. There were two impact areas – a half-mile north and a half-mile south of U.S. Highway 82 in Leflore County. The transport was en route from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., to Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. The personnel were scheduled to fly on to Yuma, Ariz. The crash site was in two soybean fields between Itta Bena and Moorhead, Miss. Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said several witnesses saw the aircraft before it crashed. “They are saying it was on fire,” the sheriff said. The aircraft bore registration number 165000 and nicknamed “Triple Nuts” for the three zeros. It belonged to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, a Reserve unit based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. Six of those killed were special operations forces of the 2nd Marine Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The corpsman was assigned to that battalion. The other nine belonged to VMGR 452, according to James. According to federal aviation records, the plane was damaged in a 2004 wind storm; and in a snow storm in 2010. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified any of the deceased. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified the deceased. (Source: NY Times 07/13/17)

SECNAV nominee to get hearing

President Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer will undergo an initial Senate hearing July 11, according to a committee aide. The Senate Armed Services Committee will consider Spencer, a financier and former Marine aviator, to be the service's top civilian in a first step toward confirming a key unfilled position of the administration. DON has been led by acting SECNAV Sean Stackley, an Obama holdover, as it works on an annual budget. Spencer's hearing was originally scheduled for June, but was postponed due to the Senate’s trying to repeal and replace Obamacare. The SASC must approve the SECNAV nomination before it can move to the full Senate. On July 12, the SASC will hold a hearing to consider four more nominees: David J. Trachtenberg for principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy; Owen O. West for assistant SECDEF secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict; Ryan D. McCarthy for undersecretary of the Army.; and Charles D. Stimson for general counsel of the Navy. The hearings also highlight the lack of a Secretary of the Army nominee. (Source: Washington Examiner 07/06/17)

Gulfport AFRH seeking volunteers

GULFPORT, Miss. – The Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport is in need of volunteers for summer events. Anyone interested in signing up can do so via e-mail or telephone. Time, dress attire, and location will be sent after registration is complete. Lists of events are included at the following link. (Source: WLOX 06/30/17)

Learning to fly in Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. - AAA predicts some 45 million Americans will be traveling for the Fourth of July. For many it may be by automobile, and for others it will be by airplane. But that doesn’t always mean flying commercially. For the past several years, flight instructors at the George M. Bryan Airport in Starkville have noticed an increase in people wanting to learn to fly. (Source: WCBI 06/30/17)